Flue for cooking appliance

Abstract

A domestic cooking appliance is provided. The appliance includes a cooking compartment; a heating element that heats the cooking compartment; an exhaust opening in the cooking compartment, the exhaust opening being configured to allow exhaust gases to exit the cooking compartment; and an exhaust duct having a main body, an inlet opening, and an outlet opening. The inlet opening is fluidly connected to the exhaust opening, the outlet opening has an outlet opening cross-sectional area, the inlet opening has an inlet opening cross-sectional area, and the outlet opening cross-sectional area is smaller than the inlet opening cross-sectional area such that a fluing effect is created. The outlet opening is fluidly connected to an environment, and the exhaust gases follow an exhaust gas path that flows, in order, from the cooking compartment to the exhaust opening to the inlet opening through the main body to the outlet opening to the environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A domestic cooking appliance, comprising:
 a cooking compartment for housing a food item to be cooked by the domestic cooking appliance;   a heating element that heats the cooking compartment;   an exhaust opening in the cooking compartment, the exhaust opening being configured to allow exhaust gases to exit the cooking compartment; and   an exhaust duct having a main body, an inlet opening, and an outlet opening, the inlet opening being fluidly connected to the exhaust opening, the outlet opening having an outlet opening cross-sectional area, the inlet opening having an inlet opening cross-sectional area, and the outlet opening cross-sectional area being smaller than the inlet opening cross-sectional area such that a fluing effect is created,   wherein the outlet opening of the exhaust duct is fluidly connected to an environment outside of the domestic cooking appliance, and   the exhaust gases follow an exhaust gas path that flows, in order, from the cooking compartment to the exhaust opening to the inlet opening through the main body to the outlet opening to the environment.   
     
     
         2 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the main body has a central section positioned between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and
 the central section has a cross-sectional shape that is oval or circular.   
     
     
         3 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 2 , wherein the inlet opening is rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         4 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 3 , wherein the outlet opening is oval or circular in shape. 
     
     
         5 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 4 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the exhaust duct smoothly transitions from the inlet opening cross-sectional area to the outlet opening cross-sectional area along an entire length of the exhaust duct from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. 
     
     
         6 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 5 , further comprising an insulation sleeve positioned around the exhaust duct. 
     
     
         7 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 6 , wherein the insulation sleeve is an uninterrupted sleeve that completely surrounds a perimeter of at least the central section of the exhaust duct. 
     
     
         8 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 7 , further comprising an exhaust plenum attached to the outlet opening of the exhaust duct,
 wherein the exhaust plenum is fluidly connected to the environment at a location remote from the outlet opening.   
     
     
         9 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 2 , further comprising an insulation sleeve positioned around the exhaust duct,
 wherein the insulation sleeve is an uninterrupted sleeve that completely surrounds a perimeter of at least the central section of the exhaust duct.   
     
     
         10 . The domestic cooking appliance of  claim 9 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the exhaust duct smoothly transitions from the inlet opening cross-sectional area to the outlet opening cross-sectional area along an entire length of the exhaust duct from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. 
     
     
         11 . An exhaust duct for channeling exhaust gasses from an exhaust opening in a cooking compartment of a domestic cooking appliance, the exhaust duct comprising:
 a main body;   an inlet opening at one end of the main body, the inlet opening being adjacent to, and fluidly connected to, the exhaust opening; and   an outlet opening at an end of the main body opposite to the inlet opening,   wherein the outlet opening has an outlet opening cross-sectional area, the inlet opening has an inlet opening cross-sectional area, and the outlet opening cross-sectional area is smaller than the inlet opening cross-sectional area such that a fluing effect is created, and   the exhaust duct is configured such that the exhaust gases follow an exhaust gas path that flows, in order, from the cooking compartment to the exhaust opening to the inlet opening through the main body to the outlet opening to the environment.   
     
     
         12 . The exhaust duct of  claim 11 , wherein the main body has a central section positioned between the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and
 the central section has a cross-sectional shape that is oval or circular.   
     
     
         13 . The exhaust duct of  claim 12 , wherein the inlet opening is rectangular in shape. 
     
     
         14 . The exhaust duct of  claim 13 , wherein the outlet opening is oval or circular in shape. 
     
     
         15 . The exhaust duct of  claim 14 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the exhaust duct smoothly transitions from the inlet opening cross-sectional area to the outlet opening cross-sectional area along an entire length of the exhaust duct from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. 
     
     
         16 . The exhaust duct of  claim 15 , further comprising an insulation sleeve positioned around the exhaust duct. 
     
     
         17 . The exhaust duct of  claim 16 , wherein the insulation sleeve is an uninterrupted sleeve that completely surrounds a perimeter of at least the central section of the exhaust duct. 
     
     
         18 . The exhaust duct of  claim 17 , further comprising an exhaust plenum attached to the outlet opening of the exhaust duct,
 wherein the exhaust plenum is fluidly connected to the environment at a location remote from the outlet opening.   
     
     
         19 . The exhaust duct of  claim 12 , further comprising an insulation sleeve positioned around the exhaust duct,
 wherein the insulation sleeve is an uninterrupted sleeve that completely surrounds a perimeter of at least the central section of the exhaust duct.   
     
     
         20 . The exhaust duct of  claim 19 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the exhaust duct smoothly transitions from the inlet opening cross-sectional area to the outlet opening cross-sectional area along an entire length of the exhaust duct from the inlet opening to the outlet opening.